Gila Monster

In five winters here in southern Arizona, I have seen big horn sheep, rattlesnakes, javelinas, scorpions and tarantulas but until today I had not seen a Gila monster...

Vegas

I was running a little low on cash so I drove up to Las Vegas to win enough money that I could return to Moab this Spring. After a couple of days in town, there were a few things that I found interesting.

First, there are a lot of young people here. Having spent the last four months in the retirement capital of the southwest, I have been used to seeing old people everywhere I go (not to mention looking in the mirror). I must admit I found myself gawking at some of the ladies.

Second, are there any young women over the age of 18 that do not have tattoos? If I had the money they spent on them, I could not only go to Moab but I could buy myself a new RZR 1000 to run with the big boys.

Third, the homeless population here is getting worse. Every block has panhandlers begging for money. There was even one guy whose sign read you could "punch him in the nuts". This world is getting way too weird for me.

Lastly, here's a neat photo of a gondola at the Venetian where the water is so clear, it looks like it is floating in air...

Click on photo to enlarge

PS - Vegas is a Munzee mecca. And not only did I score a lot of points but according to my Fitbit, I walked a little over 20,000 steps. I do not believe I can consume enough alcohol tonight to dull the pain.

Blythe Intaglios

The Blythe Intaglios are a group of gigantic figures found on the ground ~15 miles north of Blythe, CA. The figures are so immense that many of them were not observed by non-Indians until the 1930s. Many of them are believed to date from the prehistoric period but their age and the identity of their creators are still uncertain.

Satellite photo from Google Earth

Today's photos...

Munzee Referral Program

Back in March of last year, I wrote about a smartphone app called Munzee which I described as an electronic scavenger hunt using QR codes. It is still one of my favorite ways to get much needed exercise and see new places.

It turns out they have a referral program whereby if you scan the following image, you will get 50 points and I will get 10 points which is a great way to get started...

3 Wheeling

My neighbors and I took advantage of near perfect weather to ride the side-by-sides southeast of the Florence Junction. We soon discovered that Frank and Jan's machine had power to only one rear wheel so while the rest of us were "4 wheeling", they were "3 wheeling". Fortunately, they made it back to the park safe and sound with only one minor winching incident.

And we got to see some beautiful country in the process...

Another Great Ride

Now that the weather is returning to "normal", off-road riding is picking up here in the park. Today, we rode "2359" and "No Name" where you would be hard put to do more vertical feet in one day.

Along the way, we stopped at several interesting sites including what is believed to be a natural occurring geological fault...

We ended the ride at the Tiki Hut in Queen Valley for the very important task of properly re-hydrating and reliving the "Oh Wow" and "Oh S**t" moments of the day...